Sports Then and Now

Karl Kassulke

The November Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month spent ten seasons in the NFL as a starting defensive back before an automobile accident prematurely ended his career and left him paralyzed for the remainder of his life.

Drafted out of Drake University in the 11th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, Karl Kassulke didn’t make it with the Lions, but soon became the starting strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings. Read the rest of this entry →

Mickey Lolich

The October Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month had one of the best Octobers in World Series history to help lead the Detroit Tigers to a World Series title in 1968.

Considering that the pitching staff for the 1968 Tigers also included 31-game winner Denny McLain is might seem surprising that left-hander Mickey Lolich would become the staff ace as the Tigers won their first World Series title in 23 years. Read the rest of this entry →

Otto Graham

As we begin another football season, we recognize as the September Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month an all-time great whose first sport wasn’t football, but after he found his calling excelled both as a collegiate player and as one of the greatest winners in pro football history.

Otto Graham didn’t actually come to Northwestern University to play football. He originally came to Northwestern on a basketball scholarship. It was only after Northwestern football coach Pappy Waldorf saw Graham playing freshman intramural football that he was invited to tryout for the football team.

Graham ended up playing three seasons for Northwestern and broke every existing Big Ten passing record during his career. He was a two-time All-America selection and won the Big Ten MVP Award. Read the rest of this entry →

Al Simmons

The July Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month hit .462 while starting the first three All-Star Games during a stellar 20-year career that ended with his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

One of the premier outfielders of his generation, Al Simmons was not as well known as Babe Ruth, but he was a steady run producer who helped the Philadelphia Athletics edge the New York Yankees for three straight American League titles from 1929-1931 while claiming two World Series titles. Read the rest of this entry →

Hale Irwin

The June Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month if one of only six men in history to win at least three United States Golf Open Championships, with his third victory being an improbable victory in 1990 at the age of 45.

In fact, when Hale Irwin claimed his third U.S. Open title following an improbable 45-foot birdie on the 72nd hole and then a playoff victory over Mike Donald, it had been more than five years since he had last won a PGA tournament. Read the rest of this entry →

Mark Belanger

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week for April is a former Major League shortstop who was never known for his offensive production, but was one of the best ever at fielding his position and was a key reason that his team was baseball’s best during his era.

Mark Belanger was such a valuable player for the Baltimore Orioles in the late 1960s and 1970s that he knocked a future Hall of Famer out of the Baltimore lineup and twice finished in the top 30 in the American League MVP despite hitting below .230 for the season.
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